


Perfect Harmony

by Mirandas_Cupcake



Category: Chilling Adventures of Sabrina (TV 2018)
Genre: F/F, Original Mary Wardwell - Freeform, Since Zelda led the choir at the academy I thought she’d be a good music teacher, Slow Burn, non-magic au
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2020-06-16
Updated: 2020-10-03
Packaged: 2021-03-04 01:21:24
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 12
Words: 9,275
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/24745267
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Mirandas_Cupcake/pseuds/Mirandas_Cupcake
Summary: A Non-Magic AU where Zelda quits her job as music teacher at the AcademyTitle will probably change
Relationships: Zelda Spellman/Mary Wardwell | Madam Satan | Lilith
Comments: 39
Kudos: 86





	1. Chapter 1

Rain pelted down as Mary Wardwell trudged up the long gravel driveway leading to the Spellman house. Despite her umbrella, her coat and bag were wet and her shoes squelched as she walked. She shuddered as a rogue raindrop trickled down here neck.

To say she was relieved when the front porch came into view was an understatement. She hurried up the steps, closing her umbrella, and rang the doorbell.

Half a minute later, she heard muffled footsteps approaching. The door opened, revealing Hilda Spellman.

”Ms. Wardwell, what a surprise! Come in!” She stepped aside to allow the teacher to enter. “What can I do for you, Ms. Wardwell?” She asked, reaching out to help Mary out of her coat.

”Please, call me Mary.” The teacher said, reaching into her dripping bag. “I noticed that Sabrina hasn’t been in class this week, so I thought I’d bring her some notes and assignments so she doesn’t fall behind.” Mary handed Hilda a small stack of paper and put her bag on the floor by her umbrella.

”How thoughtful of you, Ms- um Mary.” Hilda smiled, taking the paper. “Would you like a cup of tea to warm you up?” She asked, noticing the slight tremble of the woman’s pale hands.

”I wouldn’t want to intrude. I-“

”Nonsense.” Mary flinched at the sudden interruption. Zelda, the eldest of the two Spellman sisters, had rounded the corner a moment prior, cigarette in hand. Upon seeing Mary stood in the hallway, vibrating with cold, with the door wide open, she spoke. “You’re practically your own water source; I’ll not have you traipsing back through the woods in this weather!” Zelda said sharply, stubbing out her cigarette in a glass ashtray that sat on the cabinet next to her. A deafening clap of thunder sounded, seeming to emphasise her words. “Now, would one of you _kindly_ close the door before Noah and his Ark come floating down the hallway?” Zelda’s voice was dripping with sarcasm.

Hilda rolled her eyes and pushed the door shut.

Mary seemed to be rooted to the spot, like a deer in the headlights. Sensing her discomfort, Hilda cleared her throat and turned to Zelda. 

“Why don’t you go and put the kettle on and I’ll find Mary some dry clothes?” 

Before Mary could protest, Hilda grabbed her hand and all but dragged her down the hallway towards the wide oak staircase. Behind her, she could hear Zelda muttering under her breath and the clicking of her heels on the floor.

When they reached the top of the stairs, Hilda led Mary to Zelda’s room. 

“I think you’d fit into Zelda’s clothes better.” She explained as she opened the door. Mary just nodded, watching as the other woman strode up to the large chest of drawers and started opening and closing various draws. Turning around, she handed Mary a pair of comfortable looking track pants and a T-shirt; two items that, from what Mary had seen the woman wear, did not belong in Zelda’s possession. “Don’t mind what she says; she’s not had the best of days.”

Mary looked quizzically at the blonde woman. “Oh?”

“Yeah, she gave up her position at the academy in Riverdale. In my opinion, it's about time.” Hilda sighed. “Right, I’ll leave you to get changed. We’ll be in the kitchen when you’re done.” With that, Hilda trotted out of the room, closing the door softly behind her.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> This idea popped into my head one night, so I thought I’d share it


	2. Chapter 2

Entering the kitchen, Hilda saw Zelda sitting at the long wooden table, waiting for the kettle to boil, head in hands. She cleared her throat. The red haired woman looked up in surprise.

”What was that about?” Hilda asked, pulling out a chair and taking a seat.

“What was what about?”

“You, in the hallway!”

Zelda lowered her gaze. “I- it wasn’t my intention to snap. I didn’t mean to take out my frustration on you, or Ms Wardwell.”

The other Spellman sister nodded in understanding. “Even so, I think you should apologise to Mary when she gets back down here.”

Zelda nodded.

The squeal of the kettle broke the silence. Zelda rose from her seat to finish making the tea. At that moment, Mary walked through the door.

At the sight of the raven haired woman, Hilda spoke. “Mary! Zelda’s just finishing the tea. How to you take yours?”

“Two sugars and a splash of milk, thank you.”

Zelda turned around to face the two women. “I’ll be a minute, if the two of you want to go to the living room.”

Hilda stood up and walked to the door. “Actually, I should probably check on Sabrina. I’ve left Ambrose with her. He’s meant to be going out with Luke later on.” She said, and headed back towards the stairs.

“That leaves the two of us, then.” Zelda started towards the door, a mug of tea in each hand. “If you’ll join me in the living room?”

Nodding in acknowledgment, Mary stepped sideways to give Zelda space to walk past her. Together they walked across the hallways to the living room.

Zelda set the two mugs on the coffee table. The two women sat down on the sofa. The television had been left playing reruns of an old tv show. They watched in a semi-comfortable silence, occasionally sipping their tea.

When the credits began to roll, Zelda put her mug back on the table and cleared her throat. “I- Ms. Wardwell, I wanted to apologise for the way I spoke to you earlier. And, while I haven’t had the best day, it was entirely uncalled for.”

Mary adjusted her glasses on the bridge of her nose. “It’s alright. Hilda said you’d had a bad day; that makes two of us.” She scoffed, taking a final sip of tea.

Turning in her seat to face the other woman, Zelda tilted her head to one side. “What did Hilda say?”

”Oh, um, I-“ Mary stuttered. “Nothing much, just that you left your position at the academy in Riverdale.”

Zelda sighed deeply. “Yes, well, Hilda never could resist a bit of gossip. I’d been wanting to leave for a while now.” The red haired woman reached for the pack of cigarettes on the table. She stood and went to the fireplace, taking one and lighting it. She took a long drag, letting it out slowly. “But, let’s not get into that tonight. Tell me about your day.”

”Well, recently there has been a shortage of teachers. I’ve been covering those classes as well as my own.” Running her fingers through her hair, Mary sighed. “I wouldn’t usually mind, but seeing as it’s not really my department, it’s been difficult trying to stretch my time out evenly.”

  
At that moment, Hilda came into the room, followed by Ambrose. Seeing the two women sat on the sofa, she smiled. “Sorry I took so long; Sabrina was sick again and-“ the expressions on the other women’s faces made her hesitate. “And you didn’t need to know that...”

Interrupting the flustered woman, the doorbell rang, followed by a series of knocks.

“On that note, Aunties,” Ambrose spoke up. “Luke’s here. I’ll see you tomorrow.” He kissed Hilda on the cheek, then walked round the back of the sofa and did the same to Zelda. He nodded at Mary. “Have a good evening.” He grinned and left the room.

Looking back at the clock on the wall behind her, Hilda sighed. “Looks like it’ll be a late dinner tonight, then.”

Mary’s eyes widened. “Have I been here that long?” She started to get up from her seat.

Before she could continue, Hilda’s voice stopped her. “It’s still chucking it down out there. Your clothes aren’t dry yet, and you can’t very well go out in that!” She exclaimed, waving her hand at Mary’s borrowed clothes.

“Right, of course,” Mary lowered her gaze.

“But,” Zelda started, also rising. “if it’ll make you feel any better about ‘intruding’ as you put it earlier, you’re more than welcome to help us cook.”

“Us?” Hilda scoffed. “It’s more likely to be you smoking while I do most of the work!”

Zelda rolled her eyes. “Still, Ms. Wardwell, please, join us for dinner.”

Nodding her assent, Mary followed the two women to the kitchen.

Dinner at the Spellman house was pleasant. Hilda and Mary had done most of the work, as Hilda had predicted, while Zelda took it upon herself to taste everything as it was added. 

When their meal was ready they sat down and ate together, talking amicably. Hilda had taken a small plate of food up to Sabrina, along with the work Mary had brought over. The blonde teen came down briefly to thank her teacher and to ask her about her friends.

By the time Mary left later that night, in her now-dry clothes, the rain had dissipated, hinting at better weather the following day.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> A bit of a longer chapter, now I know what I’m actually doing ;)  
> Should get into a posting schedule at some point.  
> Any helpful comments or suggestions are welcome!


	3. Chapter 3

The weekend passed almost too quickly. Monday morning greeted them with gusts of wind and grey clouds, but, thankfully, no rain.

Mary was just unlocking the door to her office when Sabrina Spellman approached her.

"Good morning, Sabrina! I'm glad to see you back. What can I do for you?"

Sabrina grinned. "Thank you, Ms. Wardwell. I was wondering if I could ask you some questions about the work you left for me on Friday night. I completed most of it, but there are one or two things I wasn't sure about."

Mary nodded, opening the door. "Of course, come in and sit down. We have a bit of time before classes start."

They spent the next ten minutes discussing the areas that Sabrina didn't quite understand, when a soft knock on the door interrupted them.

Mrs Meeks, the school's secretary, peeked her head around the door. "Ms. Wardwell. Sorry to interrupt, but I've got those music papers and assignments you asked for." She walked in and placed them on the corner of the desk.

"Thank you, Mrs Meeks." Mary smiled, barely suppressing an exasperated sigh as she watched the blonde secretary leave. She glanced at the piles with mild contempt, picking them up and tucking them into an almost bursting green folder labelled _M.W. T_ _o be Marked_.

_I'll add these to my never ending to-do_ list.

"Ms. Wardwell, why are you marking music assignments? Shouldn't the music teachers be doing that?" Sabrina broke Mary's train of thought.

"Yes, you'd think so." Mary laughed mirthlessly. "Since the shortage of teachers in the Arts department, I- since no one else could carry a tune if it came in a basket- have been tasked with covering as many music classes as I possibly can." She adjusted her glasses. "Although it's only a small portion of the Arts department, on top of my History and English classes, it can get a tad hectic at times."

"That's hardly fair on you; you're only one person!" Sabrina exclaimed. "They can't expect you to do all of that by yourself, surely?"

"And yet, here I am. Even though the Art and Drama classes have got new teachers, we don't have anyone else here to teach the music classes." Mary leaned back in her chair, sighing heavily.

Taking that as her cue to leave, Sabrina stood up. "Well, thank you for your help, Ms. Wardwell." She turned to leave. Just as she reached the door, she gasped in realisation. "Wait, Ms. Wardwell, I've just remembered something!"

Mary sat back up. "Really, what?"

"I think I know just the person who can help you out." The teen walked back across the room and leaned her arms on the back of the chair she had previously occupied. "My Aunt Zelda used to be a music teacher back at the academy. She's been looking for jobs over the weekend. "I'm sure she'd be happy to apply, if the position was advertised."

Mary's eyebrows furrowed in thought. After a while. she spoke again. "Leave it with me, Sabrina. I'll see if I can convince Principal Hawthorn to advertise a vacancy. If I get a response, I'll get back to you."

Sabrina nodded. "Have a good day, Ms. Wardwell." Smiling, she left, closing the door behind her.

That afternoon, after classes had finished for the day, Mary knocked on the door of the Principal's office and opened the door.

"Ah, Ms. Wardwell," Principal Hawthorn looked up from his notebook, smiling. "What brings you here?"

"Do you have a moment, Principal Hawthorn?"

"Absolutely. Please, take a seat." He gestured between the two black leather chairs in front of his desk.

Mary stepped forward to perch on the edge of one of the chairs. "I was wondering, Principal Hawthorn, have you considered advertising the space in the music department?"

Principal Hawthorn rested his elbows on the desk and clasped his hands together, leaning forward. "I have, actually, Ms. Wardwell. I was going to ask Mrs Meeks to put an ad in the local newspaper a few weeks ago, but you were doing a marvellous job. However, if I understand, in recent weeks, you've had to cut the number of music classes per week to fit them into your schedule. Am I correct in saying this?"

_Am I the only one who knows what goes on in this school?_ Mary nodded. "You are. I have also had to merge some classes together, as well as reschedule some classes for after school to make sure all of the required content is being covered properly."

Principal Hawthorn smiled slightly. "The students are learning a lot from you, Mary."

"They are, Principal Hawthorn, I can see it in their work. However, I think they would benefit further from having a fully qualified music teacher; someone who can provide them with more than basic knowledge, with advanced techniques, instead of a humanities teacher who just _happens_ to be able to read music."

Principal Hawthorn sighed. "Of course, Ms. Wardwell, you're right. They need a proper music teacher. And, well, this whole situation hasn't been entirely fair on you- especially with no one taking on any of your pre-existing classes to ease your workload. I'll see to it that an advertisement is put out by the end of the week."

Rising from her chair, Mary smiled gratefully. "Thank you, Principal Hawthorn. Have a good evening." With that, she left the room, feeling more than a little relieved.

_That went smoother than I thought it would._ Mary thought to herself as she made her way to her office to collect her belongings and headed home for the evening, to make a start on the mountain of marking she had waiting for her.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I thought I'd make Hawthorn a bit less of a d*ck in this one.  
> More to come!  
> Any suggestions are welcome!


	4. Chapter 4

The following morning, Mary double-checked her timetable. Since she had rearranged her classes, instead of having Sabrina’s English class before lunch, it now took place at the end of the day. She had made a note to ensure she wouldn’t forget that she needed to talk to the girl in question after the class had finished.

Just as she was about to leave for her first class, Mrs Meeks’ head popped around the door. “Good morning, Ms. Wardwell. Glad I caught you; Principal Hawthorn would like to arrange a quick meeting with you at some point today. He asked me to tell you to email him with an acceptable time as soon as you can.” Before Mary could respond, Mrs Meeks’s head disappeared.

” _Brilliant_.” Mary sighed. Checking her schedule again, she fired off a quick email to Principal Hawthorn, visibly cringing as she agreed to give up her only remaining break of the day. She quickly hurried down the corridor to her first class of the day, arriving just in time to set up before her students started coming through the door.

Every hour of the day seemed to drag; each worse than the last. Mary was convinced that time had slowed down just to spite her. By the time third period came, Mary could feel the beginning of the worst headache of her life. She was beyond exhausted when her meeting with Principal Hawthorn approached.

”Ms. Wardwell, thank you for agreeing to meet with me on such short notice.” Principal Hawthorn was sitting behind his desk, as usual, when Mary walked in.

 _It’s not like I had much of a choice._ Mary forced a smile. “Not at all, Principal Hawthorn. Is there something I can help you with?” She asked, sitting on one of the leather chairs.

”As a matter of fact, there is. After our discussion yesterday, I asked Mrs Meeks to send out an advertisement for the vacancy. I was wondering, as you have been in charge of the music department, when it comes to it, if you’d consider taking charge of the interviews?”

Mary was silent for a moment. Realising that an answer was probably needed, she cleared her throat. “Are- I mean, if you’re sure? I- wouldn’t you want a more senior member of staff to take on this role?”

Leaning forward in his seat, Principal Hawthorn sighed. “I would usually ask someone else, but with your knowledge of the uh- musical- um-” he gestured vaguely. “-you seemed like the best person to ask.”

Before her brain could catch up with her mouth, she heard herself agree. “Of course, I’d be happy to. What dates were you thinking of holding the interviews?”

”Oh, that’s entirely up to you. I mean, as soon as you possibly can. But, I don’t want you to feel rushed or pressured in any way.” Principal Hawthorn gave her what he obviously thought was a reassuring smile.

 _It’s a bit late for that now, isn’t it?_ “I’ll aim to schedule them as soon as I can. I’ll keep you informed as to the dates and times of the interviews.” Rising from her seat, she added, “I’ll ask Mrs Meeks to send me a list of all potential candidates.” With that, she turned on her heel and almost ran to her final class, berating herself the entire way for being _such_ a pushover.

Her class was waiting for her when she arrived.

”I apologise for being late,”. She said, a little breathless. She leaned slightly on the desk as she caught her breath, her headache making itself known, stabbing directly behind her eyes. “Today, we will be looking closely at Lady Macbeth and how the murder of King Duncan affected her.”

Perching on the edge of her desk, she picked up the book, and flipped through until she found the relevant pages. “As we have seen, she was a strong and ruthless character, who was, if you like, the mastermind behind the murder.” Mary stood to walk between the desks as she spoke, ignoring the dizziness and the black spots forming at the edges of her vision. She took a breath, steadying herself. “However, once the murder had been committed, her mental state declined. I want you to identify and analyse the changes in Lady Macbeth’s character, and how it adds to the plot.”

With her final instructions, the class began working. Mary sat back at her desk and began to look through her calendar, searching for an available date for the job interviews to take place. Having found one fairly large slot on a Wednesday morning and one on a Friday afternoon three weeks away, she circled the dates in red pen, adding the notes _possible interview date._

Feeling relatively pleased with herself for finishing one thing on her to-do list, she turned to the green folder and started marking, only being interrupted a few times by questions from her students.

Time seemed to fly by, for the first time in a while. The bell for the end of class startled Mary out of her frenzied marking. She looked up at her class, smiling. “Thank you everyone, see you tomorrow.” She saw a flash of bright blonde hair in the corner of her eye. “Oh, Sabrina, can I talk to you for a moment, please?”

Sabrina stopped walking and turned to her friends, Roz, Theo, and Harvey and smiled. “I’ll see you later, guys.” Crossing the room, she sat on the edge of a table at the front of the room, waiting for her teacher to speak.

”I spoke to Principal Hawthorn yesterday,” Mary began, leaning on her desk. “He said he would put an ad out by the end of the week.” She said, frowning slightly as a sharp pain stabbed through her skull.

”But, that’s good, isn’t it?” Sabrina asked, misinterpreting her teacher’s expression.

”It is,” Mary rubbed her temple with her fingertips. “It’s just, the interviews will be about a month away, which means I have to continue covering the music classes until the position is filled.”

Sabrina looked at Mary sympathetically. “I wish there was something I could do to help, Ms. Wardwell.”

”I know, it’s okay, Sabrina.” Mary straightened. “Have a good evening.” She began gathering her belongings. Sabrina picked up her school bag and hopped off her desk.

”You too, Ms. Wardwell. I hope Thursday night isn’t too stressful.”

Before Mary could respond, Sabrina had left.

Scrambling to her notebook, she flipped hurriedly to Thursday of that week. Quickly scanning the pages, she came across two words written in red pen. _Parents’ Night._

_Wonderful._

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Poor Ms. Wardwell is getting stressed out 😰  
> Any comments and/or ideas are welcome!


	5. Chapter 5

The rest of the week seemed as if it was being forced to pass. Mary was rapidly getting more and more exhausted as the days went by. As promised, Mrs Meeks had sent an advertisement draft to the local newspaper that Thursday- a day earlier than expected. As sad as it was, that had been the highlight of Mary’s week.

However, her happiness was short-lived; her constant headache had quickly developed into a full-blown migraine by Thursday. By third period, she had nearly collapsed twice, and had fallen asleep at her desk during her lunch break. Against her better judgment, she refused to go home. That evening, as much as her body protested, she met Mrs Meeks at the front desk to collect her appointment schedule. The blonde woman smiled sympathetically as she handed her the sheets of paper.

Scanning the documents in hand, she barely managed to suppress a groan; her first appointment started in five minutes, and she wouldn’t finish until well past 9 o’clock. Whispering a hurried ‘thank you’ to Mrs Meeks, she almost ran back down the corridor to her designated room, to greet the first parents of the evening.

Meanwhile, back at the Spellman house, Zelda was furious. Not only had all of the jobs she had applied to rejected her, she had been forced to go to Parents’ Night at Sabrina’s school. Usually, Hilda would be the one to go to these things, being the more maternal of the two. However, having completely forgotten about the event, she had agreed to a double shift at Dr Cerberus’s Books and Café in town. After a full three hours of practically begging, Hilda had finally managed to persuade her sister to attend.

Thoroughly annoyed by the time she was supposed to leave, Zelda lit her third cigarette in half an hour. Sabrina appeared in the hallway and grabbed her hand just before she reached the door.

“Sabrina, we don’t have time for this.” Zelda scolded, trying to bat her niece’s hand away.

“I just want to say something.” Receiving a nod, Sabrina spoke. “Please, be nice.” Zelda opened her mouth to argue, but Sabrina continued before she had the chance. “Ms. Wardwell has been under a lot of stress recently, and well, I just think you should try to be less-“ her aunt gave her a look that clearly said, ‘choose your words wisely’. “Um, harsh?”

Rolling her eyes, Zelda sighed. “Fine, I’ll be _nice_. Can I proceed, or are you going to tackle me to the ground next?" She gestured to the door with her free hand, prompting Sabrina to let go and take a step back. Calling her goodbyes, she made her way to her car, closing the front door behind her. She pulled out of the driveway, humming along quietly to Mozart's 'Queen of the Night' as it played on the stereo while she drove down the road.

When she pulled up in the crowded school car park, Sabrina's words echoed in her head. Taking the key from the ignition and grabbing her handbag from the passenger seat, she exited the car, heading for the entrance clearly marked by a large white sign that read ‘ _Baxter High Parents' Night. Welcome!’_ in a cheerful orange font.

Rolling her eyes slightly, she entered, following the herd of adults towards the front desk, where a thin blonde woman with a clipboard was directing people in all directions. After what seemed like an age, Zelda finally reached the front of the queue, the woman, whose name was Mrs Meeks, according to her name badge, was looking quite dishevelled.

"Ah, Miss Spellman, I assume you're here to see Ms Wardwell?" Mrs Meeks said breathlessly.

"I am." Zelda nodded curtly. _Be nice._ "Thank you." She forced herself to add, watching the woman flip the pages on the clipboard, scanning the list of students before looking back up at the woman before her.

"Ms. Wardwell is in Room 24," Mrs Meeks pointed down a hallway to Zelda's left. "Follow that hallway down to the end, and turn right; it's the first door on the left of the library. There’ll be a bit of a wait.”

"Thank you, Mrs Meeks." Zelda smiled, turning in the direction the blonde had indicated. As she got closer to her destination, Zelda noticed how much more crowded it was in this area of the school compared to the others she had passed. The usual three chairs on each side of the of the classroom doors had been filled, and there were multiple people lingering close to the door. Despite the copious amount of people, they seemed to dissipate at twice the speed of those outside the other classrooms.

After waiting a good twenty minutes, the door opened, a dishevelled looking Mary appeared.

"Miss Spellman?" she called, wearily looking around at the three people that now stood in the hall. Upon seeing the woman in question, she smiled and opened the door wider.

Zelda smiled lightly and made her way to the door. Mary led her to a large table with a chair on either side. She gestured for the red haired woman to sit before taking a seat herself.

"I'm so sorry for the delay," She tucked a stray curl that had escaped from her usually pristine bun behind her ear.

"It's not a problem; I don't have anywhere else to be tonight." Zelda said, noting the rather tired expression on the other woman's pale features.

"There's really not much to discuss," the teacher took out a sheet of paper from a yellow folder with slightly trembling hands. "Sabrina is a star pupil and is a hard worker. My only concern is that when she missed a week of school, her grades were affected, although, only slightly."

"Is there anything we can do at home that can help?"

"Well, if she doesn't have one already, I think that a study schedule would be-" Mary began, a sudden stab of pain coursed through her head, spreading through her face.

"Are you quite alright?" the other woman questioned, watching as Mary winced and screwed her eyes shut.

"Yes, I-" She took a deep breath, opening her eyes, then immediately closing them again. "Migraines always appear at the worst possible times."

Mary heard the woman in front of her fidgeting with something on the floor. An object was softly placed in front of her, lightly touching her hand. Mary opened her eyes a crack and saw a bottle of water. She met Zelda's gaze briefly and received a nod. Mary eyed it tentatively.

"It's water, not Gin, for heaven's sake!" Zelda rolled her eyes, chuckling lightly. "Drink it."

Mary took a sip and sighed. "Thank you, Miss Spellman."

"You're welcome, dear." The term of endearment slipped out easily, surprising the red haired woman. Standing up slowly, Zelda picked up her bag. "How many appointments do you have left?"

"Um, there are two more after you, why?"

"I'll wait in the hall and drive you home when you're finished. You can't drive back in this state."

"I- you don't have to do that, Miss Spellman." She stood up, her legs wobbling. "I can-" Her knees buckled. Zelda sprang forward and caught her by the arms.

"No, you can't." The red haired woman smiled slightly, picking up the list of appointments from the table. "Now, I am going to send the next person in, and you're going to spend no longer than five minutes talking to them."

Helping Mary to sit back in her chair, she walked over to the light switch and dimmed the lights slightly. There was an audible sigh of relief from the raven haired woman. Zelda promptly left the room and called the next person in, smiling fondly at Mary as she left.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I almost didn’t update today- I knew what I wanted to happen but couldn’t get the words to come. 🤕  
> Probably the worst-written chapter so far  
> Any comments and suggestions are welcome!


	6. Chapter 6

The ten minutes Zelda was sat outside the classroom dragged. Becoming slightly impatient, she took her phone out of her bag and sent a text to Ambrose.

_Z: I’ll be back later than expected._

A few minutes later, her nephew replied.

_A: no worries, Auntie Z, I’ll put a plate of leftovers in the fridge for you._

Reading the message, Zelda put her phone back in her bag. The classroom door opened; Mary’s final appointment of the night exited the room, acknowledging Zelda with a nod and a quiet ‘good evening’. Nodding in return, Zelda passed the parent and re-entered, immediately frowning in concern.

Mary’s head was resting on the table, the bottle of water was now empty. Zelda walked towards the woman in front of her, her heels clicking loudly on the wooden floor, eliciting a whimper from across the room. Realising her mistake, Zelda slipped off her shoes tucking them into her bag, and padded the rest of the way across the room. She crouched down on the floor next to Mary, gently brushing some hair out of the other woman’s face.

“Ms. Wardwell?” She tried softly. After receiving no reply, she tried again. “Mary? I’m going to take you to my car, alright?”

“I’m fine, just leave me here.” the woman mumbled.

“I’m not going to do that, dear. Can you open your eyes?”

Mary shook her head, immediately regretting that decision, and clutched her head in her hands.

“Alright, wait a moment.” Standing up, Zelda strode back to the door, where the light switch was located. Turning the dial, the lights flicked dimmer and dimmer before turning off completely. “What about now?”

Reassuming her position next to Mary, Zelda gently helped her sit up. “We are going to walk to my car, and you’re going to catch up on some much-needed sleep.” Quickly gathering her and Mary’s belongings, she took Mary by the waist. “Ready?” Together, the two women stood up.

Taking her waist, Zelda allowed Mary to find her feet. When she was stable, the red haired woman placed her hand on the small of Mary’s back and led her out of the classroom and down the halls. They walked down the (thankfully) dimly lit corridor, stopping every so often when Mary became lightheaded.

When they finally made it outside, Zelda slipped her shoes back on. The car park was now long-deserted. There were only three cars present; belonging to Mrs Meeks, Mary, and Zelda. Taking out her keys, Zelda unlocked her car and helped Mary to sit. Making sure the other woman was situated, she sat in the driver’s seat. Starting the car, the stereo started automatically, continuing to play the Aria that Zelda had been listening to, at a particularly loud and high pitched part.

Mary let out a quiet whimper, and Zelda felt a pang of guilt and quickly fumbled to turn the damned contraption off, cursing as the stereo continued to play.

“I’m sorry. I’m sorry, darling.” Zelda ejected the CD, tossing it in the vague direction of the back seat, turning the volume down all the way for good measure.

Reversing out of her parking space, Zelda started towards the main road. The two women sat in silence for a long while, before the red haired woman approached a set of traffic lights and thought it best to ask Mary for directions.

Receiving no answer, Zelda looked over at the other woman. She had fallen asleep, obviously exhausted. Not wanting to wake her, Zelda grabbed her phone from her bag behind her. She quickly texted Ambrose.

_Z: Change of plan- Can you tell your Aunt Hilda that I’m staying the night at my flat?_

_A: Will do, Auntie. Everything okay?_

Before she had time to reply to her nephew’s message, the traffic lights turned green, and she continued down the road taking the necessary turnings towards her flat.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> A shorter one this time- just so I can think for a while about where this is going.  
> As this story progresses, I might make a playlist of the songs I include throughout the chapters. Thoughts?  
> Any suggestions and/or comments are welcome!


	7. Chapter 7

Mary was awakened the next morning by a stubborn ray of sunlight on her face. Groaning, she sat up slowly, her muscles protesting as she did so. Seeing it was just past six, she made to get out of bed. Her pulse quickened upon realising that it was not her bed she had slept in, and it was not her house.

Pushing back the covers and swinging her legs over the edge of the bed, she retrieved her glasses from a nightstand that was beside her. Mary was shocked to find that, bar her shoes, she was still fully-clothed, and her hair was loose. She searched her memory for answers to the questions buzzing around her head. Before she could get too worked up, however, the smell of food wafted into the room, pausing her already overworking mind from imagining various serial killer scenarios.

 _Okay, calm down. This is obviously not serial killer situation._ Mary reasoned with herself. Willing herself to stand, she walked towards the bedroom door, from behind which she could hear the muffled sound of what could have been a radio. Curiosity getting the better of her, she gently pulled open the door and found herself in a hallway. The music was slightly louder here, and Mary could now hear faint singing accompanying the song.

Mary found herself being drawn towards the sounds and smells. Before she knew it, she was stood in the doorway of a kitchen diner, watching as Zelda swayed slightly as she tended to a pan of bacon on the stove, occasionally singing along.

The song changed and Mary immediately recognised it. She couldn’t help but smile as she watched the red haired woman do a little dance as the introduction played. As the first verse started, Zelda began to sing.

_"Hey good lookin’, whatcha got cookin’_

_Hows about cookin’ something up with me_

_Hey, hey sweet baby, don’t you think maybe_

_We could find us a brand new recipe"_

At that moment, Zelda turned around. Seeing Mary stood in the doorway, she jumped, almost dropping the pan.

“Mary! You scared the life out of me!” Zelda put a hand to her heart before smiling. “I didn’t know what time you’d be up, so I just started cooking. I hope this is alright?”

“Oh, you didn’t have to cook for me; you’ve already done so much.” Mary tucked a strand of raven hair behind her ear.

“Of course I did. What kind of hostess would I be if I didn’t provide food?” Zelda continued to plate up the bacon, which was accompanying eggs, sausages, toast, and two cups of tea that were on the round wooden table to the side of the large kitchen. “How are you feeling?” she asked as she set the two plates on the table.

“Better, thank you. Um, can I ask you something?” Mary asked as she sat down opposite Zelda.

“Absolutely.”

“Why didn’t you just take me home last night? I mean, why here- wherever _here_ is?”

Zelda took a sip of her tea before answering. “This is my apartment; I haven’t been here in a few weeks or so, but it was easier than turning around. You’d fallen asleep by the time we got to the main road, and I didn’t want to disturb you. As I don’t actually know where you live, I thought it best to bring you here.”

Mary smiled shyly. “But how did you- I mean, I was obviously still asleep when we got here though, right? Surely you didn’t _carry_ me?”

“You’re not exactly heavy, dear. You need to eat more.” Zelda smiled softly.

Mary lowered her eyes, and fiddled with her fork. “I suppose I do.”

“They’re working you too hard, Mary.” Zelda frowned. At that moment, Zelda’s phone rang. Mary saw Zelda’s face pale slightly as she glanced at the screen. “Um-“ Zelda’s voice caught in her throat. She swallowed thickly. “Would you excuse me for a moment? Feel free to use the shower; use anything you find. The bathroom is down the hall on the right.” Before Mary could respond, Zelda grabbed her phone and disappeared into the hallway and through a door, presumably her bedroom.

Mary forced herself stand up and dragged herself down the hall to the bathroom and turned on the shower. She sighed blissfully as hot water rained down on her. As she washed her hair, relishing in the scent of Zelda’s shampoo, Mary felt herself relax for the first time in a month. She felt her tense muscles loosen the longer they were under the water. She stayed in the shower for a long while, only getting out when the water ran cold.

Wrapping herself in a large purple towel, replacing her glasses on her face, she began to dry her hair, her mind drifting to Zelda and how she must have carried her to bed the night before, and how her face had paled upon seeing the name of the caller. _Who could it be; to make her react like that?_

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Another short one- sorry!  
> I know what I want to write, it's just getting there is the problem!  
> And when I say slow burn- I meant SLOW burn 😂 so bear with me  
> Any Suggestions and/or comments welcome!


	8. Chapter 8

Zelda was sat at the table, newspaper in hand, scowl on her face, when Mary emerged from the spare bedroom, still wrapped in the purple towel.

“Miss Spellman?” Mary’s head peeked around the door. Zelda’s head snapped up in surprise. “Might I borrow some clothes?”

Recovering quickly, Zelda nodded, face softening. Taking a pen, and circling a section on the newspaper, Zelda stood. “Of course. I was going to put some out this morning; I suppose it slipped my mind.”

“Thank you, Miss Spellman. What can I do to repay you?”

“I’m sure we can think of something.”

“That sounds a bit ominous.” Mary chuckled lightly, letting Zelda pass her and following her back down the hall into the room Zelda had disappeared into.

“I’m not going to ask you to sacrifice a small child, don’t worry.” Zelda laughed as she rifled through her wardrobe.

After a few minutes of searching, muttering and grumbling, Zelda pulled something out of the wardrobe.

”I don’t suppose you’d want to wear this? It’s the only one that would fit you properly.” Zelda was holding up a sleeveless crimson dress with black lace roses. Mary’s eyes widened.“I’m so sorry, the rest of my clothes are in the guest bedroom at Hilda’s. We wouldn’t have time to go and get anything.” A look of worry crossed Zelda’s face.

“If you find me a suitable jacket and shoes, it might be alright.”

“Are you sure? We can try something else and pin it to make it fit?”

“No. We really don’t have time. This will do for now.”

“If you insist. I’ll leave you to get ready.”

With that, Mary turned around and rushed back to her bedroom to get changed, while Zelda busied herself with finding a suitable pair of shoes and a jacket to go with the Mary’s clothes, leaving them outside the door.

  
A little while later, Mary re-emerged from the bedroom. Seeing the jacket and shoes on the floor, she slipped them on.

A light clattering sound came from the kitchen.Mary walked down the hall and peeked into the room.

“Miss Spellman?”

Zelda looked up from washing up the dishes they had used and blinked.

The crimson dress hugged Mary’s figure perfectly, spotlighting the subtle curve of her hips, paired with black shoes with the lowest heel Zelda could find, accentuating her toned legs.The black leather jacket Zelda had left out went perfectly, and completed the outfit. Zelda couldn’t stop her eyes from wandering over the woman in front of her.

Catching herself, Zelda cleared her throat. “Yes?”

“I was wondering where you had put my hair pins. I can’t seem to find them.” Mary said, tucking a curl behind her ear.

Zelda furrowed her brow. “To be honest, I don’t remember. Why don’t you leave your hair like that? You look beautiful.”

 _Where on earth did that come from?_  
  
Mary blushed, looking at her feet. “Thank you, Miss Spellman.” She smoothed down the front of the dress. “I look like my cousin Lilith in this. She’d have a stroke if she saw me like this.”

Before she could stop herself, Zelda blurted. “ _I_ nearly had a stroke seeing you in that.” Her eyes wide, she tried to backtrack. “I just mean that, um, it’s a little different to what you’d usually wear.”

Mary laughed. “Maybe I should have a clear out and buy a new wardrobe, if it has that effect.”

“Well- I-“ Zelda stuttered.

“Oh, I’m only teasing. People staring at me makes me feel like I’m being hunted.”

“Of course.” Zelda cleared her throat again and began collecting Mary’s belongings from the hallway. “We should probably get going if you’re to make it to work on time.” She all but shoved Mary’s bag into her arms and snatched her car keys from the hook but the door and rushed to the car, leaving Mary staring dumbfounded.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Sorry I didn’t post earlier this week- the chapter wouldn’t go the way I wanted it to 😂  
> But if a short one- hopefully the next ones will be a bit longer  
> Any comments/suggestions welcome!  
> Oh! And because I love Lilith too much, I made her Mary‘s cousin😂


	9. Chapter 9

“Where were you last night? Why didn’t you come back? Why didn’t you tell me?”

Zelda was half-expecting the barrage of questions from her sister when she closed the front door later that afternoon, newspaper in hand. She had spent the rest of the morning at her apartment, job searching.

“Take a breath, Hilda; it’s not like I fled the country.” Zelda sighed, exasperated, tucking her newspaper under her arm. “Besides, I texted Ambrose of my whereabouts.” She walked down the hall towards the kitchen, Hilda practically nipping at her heels. “What he did with that information was his own business. You’ll have to take it up with him.”

“Why are you only just coming back now?” Hilda pressed, sitting down at the table.

“If you must know, I’ve been searching for jobs in the newspaper.” Picking up the kettle, Zelda began filling it with water.

“Right. Find anything?”

“I did. But, I would like to wait until Sabrina gets home to discuss it with all of you.”

Hilda drew her eyebrows together in confusion. “Okay. Um, why?”

“Because, Hilda, the job happens to be at Baxter High. And, in case you’d forgotten, our niece is a student at that school.”

“Alright! No need to get tetchy.” The blonde raised her hands in surrender. “What’s up with you?”  
  
Zelda turned around to face her sister, two mugs of tea in her hand. “I got a phone call this morning.” She sat down at the table, sliding a mug across to Hilda and putting the other in front of her. “From Faustus.”

Hilda’s eyes widened. “Can he do that? I thought he couldn’t contact you anymore. It’s part of the conditions of that contract thingy.”

“Restraining order, Hilda. He was calling as my boss. And, as far as I know, that’s still legal.” Zelda took a sip of her tea.

“What did he want?”

“He’s refusing to give me a character reference. He said he wouldn’t do it.”

“He can’t do that! That’s not right.” Hilda exclaimed.

Zelda sighed, resting her chin on her hand. “He already has.”

Hilda scowled. “Is there not someone else you could ask? Constance, maybe? She’s still there, isn’t she?”

Zelda shrugged. “I could ask her, but it’d only be a matter of time before he found out about it.”

Hilda rose from her chair and stood beside Zelda. “You know what? It doesn’t matter if he finds out.” Zelda looked up at her. “You’re bloody good at your job, and it’s about time you enjoyed going to work again. And, if he’s got something to say about it, he can shove his comments right up his-“

“Hey Aunties!” Sabrina sauntered through the kitchen door at that moment, cutting off the end of Hilda’s sentence.

“Hello, Love, how was your day?” Hilda smiles brightly at her niece, pulling her into a tight hug.

“Y’know, same old same old. What’s for dinner?”

Zelda rose from her seat. “Why don’t you order a pizza tonight?”

Sabrina turned around so quickly, she nearly gave herself whiplash. “Really? _You_ want a pizza?”

“Oh, don’t look at me like that! Call and order it before I change my mind.”

With that, Sabrina scurried from the room, grabbing the landline phone from the hallway on her way upstairs, shouting “Ambrose, Auntie Zee said we can get pizza! Can you believe that?”

Zelda shook her head in amusement while Hilda looked at her in mild shock. “Since when do you eat pizza?”

“Well, if I want her to agree to me going for a job at her school, I have to sweeten the deal, don’t I?”

Hilda laughed. “Smart move.”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> The next chapter will (hopefully) be more interesting!  
> Any comments/plot suggestions welcome!


	10. Chapter 10

"So, you're telling me she rocked up looking like that?" Ambrose chuckled from his place on the kitchen counter, smirking around a mouthful of pizza.

"I swear on my life! It was so weird- she looked so different, especially in that leather jacket!"

 _Well, she looked better in it than I did._ Snapping out of her thoughts, Zelda cleared her throat. "Honestly, you'd think she'd grown a second head, the way you're all reacting."

"Oh, Zelda! You used to have a leather jacket. I wonder where that went..."

Zelda took a long drag from her cigarette, rolling her eyes, a light blush tinting her cheeks. "Can we please remain on-task?" She scanned each of their faces, daring them to continue. "As I was saying , before I was interrupted," she flicked her eyes between Hilda and Sabrina. "I have been looking for a job. And, until recently, I have been unsuccessful." She brought out that morning's newspaper and opened it to a dog-eared page. "Now, Sabrina. I am asking you specifically for your opinion on this matter."  
  


Sabrina looked at her aunt in confusion. "Me? Why?"

"Because, well, the position is in your school's Art's department as the music teacher." Zelda leaned forward in her chair and crushed out her cigarette in the ashtray in the middle of the table. "I understand that it may make you uncomfortable; having your aunt working at your school, which is why I will not be applying unless you feel absolutely comfortable."

"Why-" Sabrina started, smiling slightly. "Why would I be uncomfortable? I think it's a great idea! You should totally apply. Think about it; you'd be a perfect fit! You know basically everything there is to know about music, you play a ton of instruments, and you wouldn't have to drive all that way like you did for the Academy."

Zelda stiffened slightly in her seat, which did not go unnoticed. Hilda exchanged a knowing look with Ambrose. Sabrina, however, continued, completely unaware. "You'd have your own office, so you wouldn't have to share with anyone, like you did with-"

"Sabrina, eat your pizza before it goes cold." Hilda interjected, pushing Sabrina's plate closer to her.

"I think you should apply, Auntie." Ambrose added, hopping off the counter to get a better look at the paper. "Does it say when the application deadline is?"

"A few weeks. I'll think it over for a few days, then apply."

* * *

Later on, when Sabrina and Ambrose had disappeared to their rooms for the night, Zelda was sat by the fireplace, drink in hand, eyes unfocused, mind wandering. It was only when Hilda appeared in her peripheral vision, apparently talking to her, did she regain focus.

"Did you hear what I said, Zelda?"

Zelda blinked a few times, clearing the foggy remnants of memories from her mind and met Hilda's worried gaze. "I'm sorry, Hilda, what were you saying?"

Hilda crouched in front of her sister. "Are you okay? Where did you go just now?"

"Nowhere. I'm here." Zelda tucked a strand of hair behind her ear. "Now, what did you say?"

Hilda rolled her eyes, but accepted defeat, getting to her feet. "I was just saying how I think this job would be good for you, a step in the right direction."

Zelda looked up, eyebrows drawn together. "Do you know something? I think you might be right." She offered a small smile. "I'll phone on Monday morning."

Hilda patted her sister's shoulder. "Good. Now," she smirked slightly. "Am I right in thinking it was _your_ leather jacket and tight-fitting dress that Mary was wearing today?"

Zelda's face grew hot. "Hilda!"

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Sorry I haven't updated in a while and that it's only a short one again!  
> Thanks to Caitlin, who gave me the kick up the a** I needed to update!  
> Any suggestions/comments are welcome!


	11. Chapter 11

_Oh, dear God, is this what I’ve looked like all day?_ Mary thought as she caught sight of her reflection in the mirror on the wall in her hallway. She tugged on the hem of the dress, suddenly self-conscious. _No wonder everyone was staring!_

She let her eyes wonder over her reflection, then made eye contact with herself, blushing as she remembered how a certain red haired woman had done the exact same thing that morning. Taking her phone from her bag, she took a picture of her reflection. Scrolling through her contacts, she found the name _‘Demon Cousin’_ and started a new message. She added the picture, typing:

M: _Remind you of anyone? 😱_

A few seconds later, her phone chimed.

L: _It’s like looking in a mirror 😉 where did you get that DRESS?! Tell me you went to work in that!_

Shaking her head, Mary slipped off her Borrowed shoes and slid off the jacket. Continuing down the hall and into her living room, she plopped herself down gracelessly on the armchair by the coffee table and sighed heavily.

M: _It’s not mine, my friend-_

She faltered. They weren’t exactly friends, but they didn’t hate each other. _At least, I don’t hate her..._

She delected the message and began again.

M: _Yes, I went to work in it but it’s not mine. I borrowed it- I need to wash it and give it back asap._

Locking her phone, Mary leaned forward to retrieve the folder of work she needed to look through and correct. She know that if she didn’t start it now, she wouldn’t have it finished by Monday morning.

She was so focused on her work; she missed the chiming of her phone. She only looked up when her eyes were starting to sting, realising it had grown dark while she had been working. She glanced over at her phone as it pinged again. She saw a few messages from Lilith, as well as an email from Mrs Meeks. Not wanting to deal with the email, she opened the messages.

_L: I_ _bet the kids nearly died when you showed up in that!!_

_L: Speaking of work- have you found a replacement for the music classes yet? Or are you still covering them?_

_L: Borrowed? I’ve met your friends, M. They don’t seem the sort to wear things like that... Mary Elizabeth- is there a new lover I should know about? 😏_

_L: Hello? You there?_

Ignoring the third message, Mary quickly typed a reply to the other three.

_M: Hi sorry- I was working! Haven’t found a replacement yet, so I’m still covering. Interviews start soon though! I thought their eyes were going to fall out of their heads 😳 poor children!_

_L: You didn’t answer my question, Mary... if there_ is _someone, you know you can tell me, right?_

Rolling her eyes, Mary replied.

M: _No, there’s no ‘new lover’. But there is someone I can’t seem to get out of my head at the moment._

Before Mary could even put her phone down, Lilith had replied.

_L:_ _OMG!!😱 Anyone I know?_

_M: Guess you’ll find out when you next come to visit, won’t you?_

Mary locked her phone, tossing it on the table and put her head in her hands.

_What did I just do?_

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Before you come for me- I KNOW IT’S BEEN AGES AND I’M SORRY!!
> 
> It’s a bit short but I know what I’m doing (she says, having no idea what’s going on😱)
> 
> Hope you enjoyed!  
> Suggestions/Comments welcome!


	12. Chapter 12

The weekend slowly made itself known to the Spellman household. Hilda watched from her place at the sink, dazed and slightly dizzy, as Zelda paced the kitchen with her phone in her hand. Finally, she crossed the room to stand in front of her sister, abruptly stopping her in her tracks. "For the love of God, Zelda, you're going to wear a hole in the bloody floor if you carry on. Sit down."

The red haired woman fiddled with the sleeve of her jacket. "What if he's there with her?What if she doesn't agree? What if he-"

"Sit. Down." Hilda said sternly, taking her sister by the arm and all but dragging her to a chair, pushing lightly on her shoulders, prompting the older woman to sit. "Right, take a breath, and call her. You'll never know if you don't at least ask her."

Seeing no room to argue, Zelda nodded and pressed the call button, putting the phone to her ear. As it started ringing, Zelda met her sister's eyes. Hilda flashed her an encouraging smile, patting her shoulder before leaving the room, just as the phone stopped ringing.

_"Hello?"_

"Hello, Constance? It's Zelda. I'm sorry to bother you on a weekend, but-"

_"Zelda, you're my friend; you' can call me whenever. How are you?"_

"Fine, thank you. I'm afraid this isn't really a social call."

_"Oh? What can I do for you?"_

"Well, I was wondering if I could ask a favour of you."

_"Absolutely. Go ahead."_

Zelda took a breath before replying. "I was wondering if you would mind writing a reference for me- for a job application. I-"

Before Zelda could finish her sentence, Constance cut in.

_"Of course I can! What job are you going for? Anything interesting?"_

Zelda breathed a sigh of relief. "Thank you, Constance; I really appreciate it. As for the job; it's over at Baxter High in the Arts Department. I'm applying on Monday."

_Oh, Zelda, that's fantastic. I'm glad you're putting yourself back out there so soon after- you know, all that's been going on the past few weeks."_

As if she read Zelda's mind, Constance quickly added, _"And, don't worry; I'll email you from my personal computer so it won't show up on the system. The less he knows, the better, right? I'll get started on that reference for you right now, and I'll email it over to you when I'm done, is that okay?"_

Zelda smiled. "That's perfect, thank you. I'll see you soon."

_"Goodbye Zelda, good luck."_

With that, Constance hung up the phone, just as Hilda re-entered the kitchen, a small stack of dishes balanced in her arms, which she promptly began to wash.

"Well? What did she say?"

Zelda flashed a smile. "She said she'd start right away and email me the file when she's done."

"Told you so!" Hilda teased. "I don't know why you don't listen to me more often. I mean, I'm full of good ideas and helpful advice."

"You're full of something, I'll give you that." Zelda smirked.

"Oi!" Hilda threw a dishtowel at her in mock annoyance.

"Thank you, Hilda." Zelda said quietly, standing to join her sister at the sink, where the two women washed and dried the dishes in a comfortable silence, before preparing a late lunch.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I know this isn't the best of chapters, but hey, at least I updated!  
> The interview should be in the next chapter (finally!)  
> I need to start writing chapters in advance!!  
> Any comments/suggestions welcome!  
> 


End file.
